A MODEL FOR ACADEMIC SPINOFFS CREATION

Universities are key players in entrepreneurial ecosystems. A positive consequence of their knowledge production and dissemination activity is the creation of academic spin-offs [1]. In fact, the companies called academic spin-offs (ASO) represent entrepreneurial activities originated by academic personnel in university environments [2]. In recent years ASOs have received considerable attention from both policy makers and the scientific world [3]. Academic spin-offs are born with the aim of exploiting the results of research carried out in universities and today they are considered a central resource for economic growth. The positive impact on the processes of technological change and economic development of these companies is essential in a global economic context that sees innovation as a decisive added value [4]. Numerous researchers working in the economic and management fields have deepened the factors linked to the propensity of the university to generate ASOs. At the moment, several models for the creation of an ASO are present in the literature; the purpose of this paper is to provide a unique model, to be followed phase by phase in temporal succession. In particular, the work of [5] was chosen as the basis for the model definition. In fact, the five proposed phases cover the entire cycle of the spin-off creation and allow to deal with all the obstacles that can arise by inserting each one in a reference phase.